A Battle Between the Heads
by kiwijade
Summary: She is in Gryffindor. He is in Slytherin. She comes from a Muggle family. He comes from a Pure-blood family. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger... two very different people who have one thing in common: they are the Head Boy and Head Girl of Hogwarts.
1. Nothing Alike

_Hi guys! Here's my first story on this site and I hope you all enjoy it! I actually wrote about 12 pages of this story beforehand so I'll be updating all the chapters quickly. This is kind of like the introduction to my fanfic so there's no Draco and Mione interaction yet but there's more to come! Also, the universe of Harry Potter (including these characters)are owned by J.K Rowling, the fantastic author of the Harry Potter series. My story also disregards the war during Harry's 7th year (sorry for those who don't like that) and Dumbledore is alive in my fanfic so he is still the headmaster. Just wanted to let you know so you don't get confused when I mention him... anyways those are just a few notes I wanted to bring up! Feel free to leave any comments! Bye!_

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><p>A tall boy dressed in a black suit ran a pale hand through his white-blonde hair and let out a frustrated sigh. He couldn't wait until the next day… the first day of Hogwarts. Every summer, he dreaded the idea of going back home to his family, especially his father who was a selfish pawn for the "dark lord" and who he treated better than his own son. Not that he himself had anything against the "dark lord". As long as the crazed and evil wizard did not bother him, then he was certainly fine with his merciless actions, especially when it involved killing Harry Potter.<p>

The name rolled off the boy's tongue with hateful bitterness… oh how he hated Potter and his stupid friends: the weasel and the Mudblood. He placed a long finger on his whitened face, remembering the time the damn Mudblood had punched him. She was the first girl to ever lay a hand on his precious face and he never forgot the pain and humiliation she had caused him.

The boy looked up at the night sky and softened at the countless stars above his eyes. Even though he was known to be cold-hearted and selfish in the eyes of others, it was times like these, when he could see the beautiful night sky from his bedroom balcony, that truly brought out the good and innocence within him.

Then, all of a sudden, he heard a strong whispering sound coming from the room next to him. He immediately recognized the voice… it was the "dark lord" himself using Parseltongue to talk to his snake Nagini. He moaned. Couldn't his father at least keep him out of the family home? Why must he allow him to intrude and interfere in all personal matters?

Remembering his place, his face suddenly hardened and the young boy covered his eyes with his hands so that the stars were out of view. "I am a pure-blood Slytherin" he whispered piercingly. "I hate Harry Potter. I am Draco Malfoy".

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><p>Hermione Granger embraced her two Muggle parents with a strong grip. She never wanted to let them go. She loved her parents more than anything and leaving them after every summer to return to Hogwarts was heartbreaking. Don't get her wrong… she loved Hogwarts… she loved the spells and teachers and her two best friends Harry and Ron but she always got emotional whenever she had to depart from the two lovely normal human beings who gave birth to her.<p>

"Sweetie make sure to send me a letter by owl once you arrive to school," her mom said, wiping a tear from her hazel eyes.

"Of course mother. And promise not to worry too much about me alright? I will be fine", Hermione assured her mother, giving her a melancholy grin. Her mother was a huge worrywart when it came to all matters regarding magic. In a way, Hermione inherited that trait from her mother because she worried excessively as well, especially when it came to the safety of her friends.

"Oh you two.. always turning this into a dramatic scene," said her father who was taller than his wife by an inch. "As much as I hate seeing my little girl grow up into her last year at Hogwarts, I know she will be the top student in all her classes again and make me proud." He smiled adoringly at Hermione. Even though he barely understood magic and its inner workings, he had always praised his daughter for her outstanding performance in grades and school ranking. "There's just one thing I need you to do sweetie," he said with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione looked curiously at her father. What more could he possibly have to say? Her mother also turned sideways to look at her husband with a puzzled stare.

Her father leaned down close to his girls and pointed a demanding finger at Hermione. "No and I mean absolutely NO boys or dating allowed. I don't want to see my little girl grow up too fast!"

Hermione immediately blushed at her father's warning. "D..a..d!" she yelled embarrassingly and her dad laughed joyfully, making Hermione and her mother break out into laughter as well.

Oh, how she loved her parents…

"Draco…" a scowling middle-aged man with long blonde-white hair that fell down his back said to the younger boy beside him. "Stand up straight!" he scolded. "A Malfoy never slouches like a woman. He stands up strong and proud." The man pushed Draco with his cane and glared at his son.

"Yes father…" Draco said… almost unwillingly. He was 17 years old now and despised being treated like a 11 year old. He glanced at the other families around him who were saying goodbye to students. Almost every one of them showed loving and affectionate expressions on their faces while they hugged their children… mothers were crying, fathers were patting their backs proudly, and little siblings were teasing them. Oddly, the scene around him made him feel more lonely than ever because he knew. He knew that his father would never treat him like that and his mother… maybe… but she was too scared of the "dark lord" and the other death eaters to show much emotion towards anyone much less her own son.

Oh, how he hated his parents…


	2. Unfortunate News

_Okay so here's chapter 2! I own no part of the Harry Potter universe... it belongs to J.K Rowling. Btw, just a quick reminder that in my story Dumbledore is still alive so that's why he is mentioned. Enjoy Malfoy and Mione's first encounter! :)_

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><p>With the final goodbye to her family, Hermione boarded the Hogwarts Express to meet up with her best friends in their usual compartment. The two people she truly valued after her parents were Harry Potter and Ron Weasely, fellow Gryffindors she had met during her first year at school. They had been together through thick and thin and she would never hesitate to protect them against any sort of harm.<p>

While she was preoccupied pondering the thoughts of all the experiences she had had at Hogwarts with Harry and Ron, she failed to notice the student in front of her and bumped into his chest… hard. The chest, she swore, was like a solid rock and she rubbed her head gently with her hand.

"Watch where you're going," the voice sneered. Hermione looked up to see who the owner of the hard chest was and nearly lost her balance at the sight. Draco Malfoy.. why must he be the one she bumped into? Why couldn't it be someone from a nicer house like Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff?

Even though she was well aware that it was her fault for not paying attention to her surroundings, she refused to admit that in front of her best friend's sworn enemy. "I believe I was watching perfectly well Malfoy. Whether you were or weren't is a completely different story," she said in a matter of fact tone.

"Really? Because when **you** bumped into **me** I could have sworn you were looking like this." Malfoy looked up at the corridor's ceiling with a dreamy and dumbfounded look on his pale face. He looked completely and utterly ridiculous and Hermione hated how he was mocking her!

"I do NOT look like that at all! But I'm pretty sure you have had that expression on your face since you were born since you have always been a selfish and boorish loser," she snapped. Hermione gave him a deathly glare but secretly patted herself on the back proudly for standing up to Draco Malfoy.

Malfoy's eyes turned stone cold and he opened his mouth to reply but before he could say a word, another student placed a strong grip on Hermione's shoulder.

"Leave her alone Malfoy," the voice behind her warned with a scornful tone. Hermione already knew who it was without having to turn around. She would recognize that voice anywhere.

Malfoy smirked. "Well if it isn't the other Potter wannabe here to save his little precious witch… oh wait, I almost forgot. There is no witch here… only a wizard, a weasel, and a _Mudblood_." He had said the last word so harshly that Hermione could feel herself grimace in the moment. She hated to be called that and remembered how the insult always used to make her cry back in year one.

However, it looked like the person behind her was even more angrier than she was. Ron moved around Hermione so he was face to face with Malfoy. "You better stop right there you bloody asshole," he threatened, forming a fist in his large hands.

Immediately, Hermione knew where this was going and her automatic reflex was to prevent anything from happening. She stepped in between the two boys and tried to calm her friend down. "Ronald! Stop this at once! Before you earn yourself a detention." She pressed a firm hand against his chest. He looked at her for a moment before raising his fist down. Seeing the worried look on Mione's face always forced him to do whatever she wanted.

Malfoy smiled slowly, thinking he had won a game but when Hermione added to Ron, "Plus, he's not even worth a punch," he frowned and walked quickly past them, shoving Ron along the way.

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><p>Arghh! I swear… that stupid blonde always makes my blood boil!" shouted Ron as he and Hermione entered their usual compartment. They spotted another student already sitting there quietly with his round glasses and lightening-shaped scar on his forehead.<p>

"HARRY!" Hermione screamed as she ran over to hug one of her best friends. While she had spent most of the summer visiting Ron at his home, she barely got to see much of Harry and missed him with all her heart. He chuckled softly as he hugged her back and grinned cheerfully at her and Ron.

"Hey you two! I'm so glad to see you! And Ron, why are you so red? Did Fred and George pull a prank on you again?" Harry laughed at the thought of Ron's twin brothers. They were some of the most amusing people he has ever met.

Hermione sighed. "Sadly, no. We encountered Malfoy while walking here." She saw her friend's shoulders sag at that specific name. She knew that the two have been rivals since their first arrival at Hogwarts when Harry refused to become friends with the obnoxious Slytherin.

"Oh…" he said with an awkward tone to his voice. "Well I heard something that might bother you two," he said softly, not meeting his friends' eyes.

"What is it?" Ron and Hermione asked simultaneously. By the look of Harry's uneasiness, she was sure that whatever he was going to say had a 99 percent chance of being bad news.

"Well um… you know how Mione received the Head Girl badge?" Harry glanced at his female friend with a guilty tint in his eyes.

"Yeah…" the two friends nodded questionably. Hermione remembered how ecstatic she was when she found out that the headmaster had chosen her out of all the 7th year female students to be Head Girl. Sure, she expected it because of her above-average grades and performance in every class but she was still joyful at the accomplishment. However, she wondered curiously why Harry was bringing it up now? When all of them knew a couple of weeks ago and celebrated over Butterbeers.

"Well while I was walking here before, I overheard some conversations taking place between some students of Slytherin and…" He glanced at his two friends again and blew out a deeply held breath. "Don't freak out okay?"

Hermione's patience was running out now and she placed two hands on her friend's shoulders. "Just tell us Harry!"

He placed a hand out defensibly and cried out, "Malfoy is Head Boy this year!" Now, Hermione's first reaction would have been to laugh… because the idea of that pale skinned, blonde-haired, annoying, selfish boy with beautiful gray eyes… woah! She paused herself there. How the hell did her insulting rant suddenly become a compliment towards Malfoy's eyes? Ughh! Sometimes, she really hated being a girl with hormones. Anyway, she just could not believe someone as impish as him could become Head Boy. But the way her best friend looked while telling her made the ridiculous idea definite.

Now all Hermione could think of was… what the hell was Dumbledore thinking? Suddenly, she heard a slam on the chair next to her and jumped up in fright. "Ron! You nearly gave me a scare!" she shouted at him.

"This CANNOT be happening!" he shouted back at her. The orange-haired teen placed a hand against his face and rubbed his temples gently. "Why Malfoy? Why not Harry? Or even me? I'm pretty sure even my behavior is better than that disgusting bastard. Someone like him should not be hanging around Mione," he snapped.

"I was wondering the exact same thing…" Harry pondered out loud. "But then when I thought about it… I realized that despite Malfoy being a complete jerk, he actually earns pretty good grades. Also, not to mention that his father is one of the most powerful men living even if he is associated with the dark side."

Ron had a horrified expression on his face. "Harry… you can't be justifying this agreement!" he shouted, sounding as if his best friend had betrayed him.

Harry sighed and put a hand out to stop Ron from talking. "No Ron. I'm saying that it all makes sense if you look at it from a different point of view. I don't want Mione associated with him anymore than you do but I'm pretty sure we can trust that she will keep herself distanced from the likes of him. Right Mione?" He looked at Hermione with a smile. It was nice to know one of them remembered she was still in the compartment.

"Yes of course. Even though I really do hate the idea of working with that selfish being, I am not going to let this stupid arrangement prevent me from taking the position of Head Girl." She stared at Ron with a grim smile. "You understand that right?"

Ron groaned frustratingly and the three of them stayed silent for a few minutes. Hermione heard the sound of the train moving.

"Alright. Fine! I hate to give in because I truly despise Malfoy and I really do not think Dumbledore was in his right mind when he picked the Head Boy… but…" He looked at his two friends and grinned. "Man… you two drive me bonkers," he said. Hermione knew that his statement was meant for both her and Harry but the way he looked at only her while he said it made her nervous.

Yet, all nerves were broken when the three of them moved on to another subject, talking about summer and future hopes for a new year at Hogwarts.


	3. Two Very Unlikely Companions

_Okay so here's chapter 3! Lots of Mione and Draco interaction here :) Again, I own no part of the Harry Potter universe and all the characters belong to J.K Rowling. The only characters that I own are Gregory and Aiden. Also, I know there are supposed to be more than four prefects... I think there's supposed to be two from each house and year but I didn't want to introduce too many new characters because that would be confusing for me to keep track of so let's just pretend there's only 4 prefects okay? :) _

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><p>The three friends were enjoying each other's company until a sudden shift in the compartment door made their hearts jump. "What the…" Ron let out until he saw who it was. His face went black with despair.<p>

Malfoy smirked at the trio sitting all nice and cozy together on the same seat. "So nice to see you little Gryffindors getting along so well but if you would excuse the _Mudblood_ for a moment. I believe we, as Head Boy and Head Girl, have some affairs to discuss." He turned towards Hermione and his eyes pierced hers, sending a shiver down her spine. She wasn't sure if it was because his eyes were so gray or because the mere presence of him made her feel uncomfortable. She decided it was probably both.

Before she could respond to his cruel nickname for her, Malfoy grabbed her arm and led her out of the compartment, leaving Ron and Harry speechless. "Hey! Wai…" Ron shouted as they left but it was too late. All she could hear was his distant cries as Malfoy led her to another compartment, in the complete opposite direction from the one she had just left.

Then, she realized the sudden contact between them and immediately pulled his hand away from her arm. "What do you think you are doing?" she snapped at him.

Malfoy gave her an amusing stare. "Someone seems a bit feisty," he laughed. He opened the compartment door in front of him and motioned for her to get in. She stayed still.

"Go…" he started but before he could finish his sentence, Hermione shoved him off to the side. "I am going back to my friends," she stated firmly, preparing to walk back in the other direction.

However, before she could take one step, Malfoy grabbed her arm again and pulled her inside the small room, ignoring her protests. "How dare you touch me again you disgusting imp!" Hermione shouted as she turned to stomp back out.

Malfoy just smiled. "What are you…" Hermione started to say, confused by his sudden shift in emotions. However, it wasn't until she heard a cough that she realized they weren't the only two people in the room. She glanced around quickly, noticing how the other prefects in the compartment were staring wide-eyed at her. How embarrassing! She turned to Malfoy with a horrified stare and he just smirked. This was all his fault!

"Hello…" she greeted the others nervously. They must think horribly of her after witnessing her scene with Malfoy. They all looked at her and Malfoy amusingly. She even heard one of the girls whisper, "Those two are going to be Head Boy and Head Girl? They look like they can't stand each other!" One of Hermione's pet peeves was when people whispered about her when she was right in front of them but she couldn't help but agree with this one… her and Malfoy were two very unlikely companions.

Hermione studied the people around her more and got a good look at them. There were four other students in the compartment and they were all from different houses. She nodded politely at the boy from Gryffindor and he winked back at her. Okay… that was not the response she expected!

Malfoy stepped forward to direct the others. "Now that everyone has arrived. Some more late than others…" He glanced at Hermione from the corner of his eye and she glared at him from hers. He continued. "I will start our first meeting. My name is Draco Malfoy as most of you probably know since I am the most sought after guy at Hogwarts." He smiled to himself and Hermione snorted. How conceited could he be!

The two other girls, one from Hufflepuff and the other from Slytherin, however, held on to Malfoy's every word like he was a god or something while the other two boys looked bored. The one from Gryffindor winked at Hermione again. Was there something wrong with his eye?

Hermione cut in Malfoy's speech just in case he spoke more about himself than about the actual issues going on in the school. "Anyways, since you are all prefects, you have a responsibility as much as us to withhold all rules of Hogwarts and ensure that everyone in your individual houses is on their best behavior," she announced, using her professional voice. Now it was the girls' turn to look bored and the guys' turn to look interested. Gender really did have an impact when you were addressing people!

Malfoy let out a purposeful yawn and Hermione shot daggers at him from her eyes. He was such an imbecile! How could Dumbledore choose someone that did not take any of this seriously! "Blah blah blah," he mocked with his hands and mouth. "Who cares about rules and regulations? We have the professors to do that. What our job is is to make Hogwarts as fun as possible. The school has been getting dreary the past years… I say, we should host more…." Before Malfoy could finish, Hermione cut in again.

"That is NOT our job," she stated firmly, pushing Malfoy out of the way so she could have her limelight. "We are basically the student council of Hogwarts." Everyone in the room stared at her questionably because they possibly never heard the term "student council" ever in their lives. She sighed and pushed a strand of her brunette hair away from her face. "It is what they call a group of students who work together to make the school a better environment. Kind of like the Ministry of Magic… but for Hogwarts." Some of the prefects started nodding their heads and Hermione let out a thankful sigh that they, well at least the boys, had understood her logic. The girls, on the other hand, were just staring at Malfoy, waiting to agree with whatever sly remark he made.

Malfoy cleared his throat and laughed out loud. His laugh was thunderous and possibly not a laugh she expected from a person like him. She had always imagined his laugh to be evil sounding like Frankenstein or something… not that she ever imagined anything about him at all. "Granger, I would be grateful if you did not bring in your crazy Muggle logic into our meetings. We are all pure-blooded or half-blooded wizards and witches you know…" He glanced at Hermione and smirked. "Well at least most of us are." Everyone in the compartment gasped at his sudden statement. Hermione just glared.

The prefect from Gryffindor let out an exasperated sigh. "Can we please adjourn this meeting because this dispute between the two of you…" He pointed at Hermione and Malfoy. "is getting ridiculous and you're wasting my time." The other prefects nodded their heads in agreement, even the girls who were so fixated on Malfoy.

The Head Boy and Girl broke the cold stares they were giving each other and turned their attention back to their classmen. Hermione smiled as genuinely as she could to the other prefects. Even though she hated the person standing next to her with all her might, she was definitely not going to let it affect her duties as head girl. In fact, she was going to try to ignore Malfoy the rest of the train ride to Hogwarts… because she was scared that if they showed the slightest interaction, she wouldn't be able to prevent herself from wringing his neck.

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><p>The meeting with the prefects actually went pretty well. Everyone was so engrossed in the discussion about the future affairs of Hogwarts that they didn't hear the sound that signaled the arrival to school. It wasn't until they heard footsteps outside of their compartment that Hermione decided to adjourn the meeting.<p>

"It was a pleasure meeting you all," she stated with a smile on her face. "But I just realized.. I didn't get any of your names. Mine is Hermione Granger."

The Gryffindor prefect, who had been basically flirting with her the whole train ride smiled back at her, showing his bright white teeth. "I already know who you are. The best student in Hogwarts," he complimented her. Hermione felt a blush rising up in her cheeks but fought it. She got a good look at the boy before her and noticed his green eyes and light brown hair. He was above-average in looks but not exactly a male model. Malfoy snickered at her long-lasting gaze at the boy and she glared at him for the umpteenth time. "Name's Gregory by the way," he introduced. "Gregory Northcraft."

"Pleasure," Hermione greeted back. She turned to the prefect standing next to him who gave his name as well. He was the prefect for Ravenclaw and his name was Aiken Hardbury. He had a really firm voice and sat straight up for most of the meeting so Hermione guessed he was as serious about this prefect stuff as she was about her position as Head Girl. He also had dark black hair and sea-blue eyes which added onto his serious demeanor. Hermione also noticed that he was a bit better looking than Gregory but the sour expression on his face ruined his nice features. The two boys Aiken and Gregory nodded at Malfoy in acknowledgement and walked out, getting ready to depart the train like everyone else.

The other two prefects, both girls, also walked out after them before Hermione could ask them their names. "Wait!" she shouted after them but it was too late. The door shut close right in front of her as she heard a slight chuckle from behind. She turned around and stared at Malfoy straight in the eye. "What?" she asked annoyingly. Did he have to either laugh and smirk at everything she did? Did he not see that it made him obnoxious?

He straightened his Slytherin robes and walked around her to get to the compartment door. "If you linger here too long Granger, the train might take you back to the platform… and then you won't be able to be the 'perfect' Head Girl anymore. But I don't mind… I would rather work along someone else anyways…. preferably one with…" He looked at her amusingly before continuing, "higher standards." Malfoy slid the door open but Hermione blocked his path before he could leave.

She placed a firm hand against his chest which startled the blonde-haired wizard for a moment. He was used to girls touching him, especially annoying ones like Pansy Parkinson who enjoyed hanging onto his arm every time they saw each other. But, he never had a girl touch him the way Hermione did… like she wanted to beat the living daylight out of him. In a way, he thought it was quite amusing. Actually, he found that everything she did was quite amusing.

"Oh believe me. I feel exactly the same way you do. In fact, I am still confused by Dumbledore's decision to make you of all people Head Boy. I bet everyone thinks it should have been Harry," she retorted, smirking at Malfoy's expression after hearing Harry's name.

However, it didn't seem to affect him too much when he continued, "Oh of course, the boy who lived. What an interesting Head Boy he would be. While everyone congratulates him on his bravery against You-Know-Who, he would be crying himself to sleep every night for getting his parents killed." Malfoy's eyes suddenly turned away from Hermione's horrified face. He did not mean for those last words to come out the cruel way they did.

There was utter silence between the two heads before Hermione snapped, "Well at least his parents died protecting him… they loved him! I'm sure the same could not be said about you Malfoy, when your parents would probably give you off to Voldemort without a moment of hesitation!" She covered her mouth after saying that, immediately regretting her response. She felt her heart drop even more when she saw how hurt Malfoy looked. It was the first time she had seen him look so vulnerable but what he had said about Harry was unforgivable.

"I…" she started but Malfoy remained uneasy and silent after her remark. He studied her for a moment before opening the door and walking out, leaving Hermione with a solemn and guilty look on her face.


	4. A Long Year Ahead

_Yay! Here's chapter 4! I think this is the longest chapter that I've written so far so I hope you all like it :) I don't know when is the next time I'll be updating but it will probably be some time next week. Anyways, as usual, I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe or the characters (besides the OCs like Gregory, Aiden, etc.) Everything else is owned by J.K Rowling. Oh I didn't really have time to edit this chapter much because I've been busy and I'm about to fall asleep right now (its only 9pm!) haha so ignore any spelling or grammar mistakes. I promise to correct them when I get the chance!_

_Hmm... well I don't think I have anything else to add here so enjoy! _

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><p>Hermione was still thinking about the argument she had with Malfoy as she entered the Great Hall before noticing a red-headed girl's frantic waves in front of her. She smiled at Ginny Weasely, Ron's beautiful sister who was a year younger than her and one of her best friends. Hermione waved back and put on a fake smile but Ginny could tell something was wrong.<p>

"What happened? A fight with Ron?" she asked curiously. Ginny had this funny idea that her brother and Hermione were going to get married one day and have a bunch of little kids. As much as she loved Ron, she knew that her feelings for him weren't romantic. She thought they were until last year, when she realized how much she saw him as a brother more than as a boyfriend. Plus, she wasn't ready for a relationship, especially now with the added responsibilities of being Head Girl. Nonetheless, as many times as she told Ginny that, she never got the point.

"No no nothing went on with me and Ron," Hermione assured her best friend lightly. "I just had… an unexpected argument with someone else…" she cringed, feeling guilty again for saying those harsh words to Malfoy.

Ginny, however, did not notice Hermione's sudden discomfort and guessed again. "Is it Harry then? If it is, I will promise to scold him well for you." She smirked to herself and Hermione smiled as well. Ginny and Harry had started dating since last year and have been more madly in love than ever. They were most likely the "It" couple at Hogwarts and almost everyone was jealous of their ongoing chemistry.

Speak of the devil, Hermione saw her best friend's boyfriend come out of nowhere and place a arm around her waist. Harry grinned at Ginny, giving her a quick peck on the lips. He also smiled at Hermione, motioning them to follow him to their seats at the side of the table where Ron was sitting.

While they walked, Ginny pointed a finger accusingly at Harry. "Did you fight with Hermione on the train? Is that why she wasn't sitting with us the whole time?" she questioned.

Harry laughed. "Ginny, I already told you that Hermione had to sit with the other prefects. It is what the Head Girl does on the train ride to Hogwarts," he said. "And I did not fight with Hermione. What in the world made you imply that I did?" he asked confusedly.

When they arrived to the table, Hermione sat down next to Ron and motioned for Ginny and Harry to stop their conversation. "It's nothing Ginny. Don't worry about it!" she claimed.

Ginny opened her mouth to say more but Harry put a reassuring hand on his girlfriend's shoulder and she turned away from the crew to greet her other friends at the Gryffindor table. Hermione gave Harry a grateful look and waved at Ron who was looking at her suspiciously.

"What?" she asked him, greeting the other Gryffindors seated around her. Ron, however, set his eyes only on Hermione and ignored hellos from people like Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom.

"What happened after that bastard pulled you away? Why was Ginny pestering you like that? Did he hurt you? I swear I'm going to…" Ron got up from his seat and looked around furiously before his eyes landed on the Slytherin table where Malfoy was joking around with a couple of his friends.

Hermione pulled him back down next to her but frowned when he refused to listen. "Ronald!" she scolded. "Nothing happened. We just had our meeting with the prefects and everything went fine." She placed a hand on his arm to calm him down and let out a relieved sigh when it worked and Ron sat down. His over protectiveness got out of hand some times.

"Sorry…" Ron apologized. "I just…" He looked up at the Slytherin table again and caught the eye of Malfoy. Hermione also looked up and witnessed the brief interaction between the two enemies. She saw Malfoy sneer at Ron, then turn his head to look at her. He gave her a very indifferent expression and she had no idea what it meant. Was he hurt from the words she had said before? Before she could look at his gray eyes again, she saw that he had directed his attention back to his friends and away from the Gryffindor table.

"What in the bloody hell was that?" Ron whispered to nobody in particular. He looked at Hermione who was still staring at the Slytherin table and waved a hand in front of her face. "Mione?" he asked.

Hermione cut out of her trance and turned her attention to Ron again. "Hm?" she asked him. He gave her a worried look and raised an eyebrow curiously. She also returned the look.

He stared at her for a long minute before returning to his senses. "Nothing," he muttered. Hermione opened her mouth to reply but knew it wouldn't do her any good. He was still upset at her relations with Malfoy now that they were both Head Boy and Girl. All she needed to do right now was give Ron some space. Then, maybe later he would return back to his normal, goofy self. She glanced around the room and saw that new students had joined the tables. This made her nostalgic about the first time she was sorted into Gryffindor. Where had all the time gone?

Hermione realized that Ron had ignored her for a good hour before the headmaster stood in front of the school and clinked his goblet to capture the students' attention. The whole dining hall quieted down with a few distant laughs. Dumbledore cleared his throat and made eye contact with all the young wizards and witches around him.

"To all the students starting their first year at Hogwarts, I welcome you and hope you find your time here to be valuable and insightful. You should have all been sorted into your houses and I hope you are satisfied with the decision the hat has made. The prefects leading you to your commodores will tell you more about your individual house." The headmaster scanned the crowd of students again. "And of course, to all the former students from the previous years, welcome back. I hope you will guide the new students and continue to make Hogwarts a stronger community. As usual, any rule that is defied by any member of a house will result in a loss of points so make sure to follow the orders of your heads who are seated here beside me." Dumbledore gestured to the professors sitting to the right and left of him.

He then scanned the tables again and met the eyes of Hermione. He turned to look at the Slytherin table and also glanced at Draco. "I have chosen two skilled students this year to be the Head Girl and Head Boy who are each from Gryffindor and Slytherin." The students around the hall looked at each other in shock, wondering why the Heads were from the two houses that were considered bitter rivals.

However, oblivious to the panic taking place, Dumbledore continued, "The prefects from each house and year must listen to them and work together to provide a better environment for our students. Of course, continuing with our ongoing traditions, the two Heads will be sharing a large commodore located in the East Wing so they may have their privacy when deciding on confidential matters regarding the school. They will have a shared bathroom and living room. Their bedrooms, of course, will be separated by a magical lock since they are both of different genders. The responsibility of the two Heads is crucial. They will be planning yearly events like the Yule Ball. Ah, speaking of the Yule Ball…"

While Dumbledore continued to make his speech, Hermione could only hear the words "sharing a large commodore" repeatedly in her head. How did the headmaster expect two people who hated each other's guts to stay in the same room together? Then again, he did choose Draco as the Head Boy so what else should she expect? She just couldn't believe the ridicule of it all! Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy sharing a commodore? Ha! They couldn't even spend one minute in a room together without arguing.

She turned around and focused her attention on the Slytherin table where Malfoy was sitting. His gray eyes met her brown ones and he glared at her with immense bitterness. The way he looked at her implied that she was all to blame for this madness. That it was **her** fault they had to share a commodore together. She glared right back at him and he smirked. Hermione sighed. This was going to be a long year…

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><p>After Dumbledore had finished his speech and motioned for everyone to start eating the great feast in front of them, Ginny pulled Hermione to her side of the table and whispered, "You and Draco Malfoy have to share rooms!" She had an appalled expression on her face, like someone had just told her the world was ending.<p>

Hermione nodded her head repulsively. "I know," she murmured. "Oh what am I going to do Ginny? I know our living together is solely for work purposes but I just can't…" She paused for a moment and placed an irritable hand on her head. "Really, how am I going to stand being in the same room with that creature?" Hermione pointed a finger towards the Slytherin table but soon realized that the object of her frustration wasn't present.

Ginny also noticed and laughed. "What are you pointing to Mione? No one is sitting there!" She looked at her best friend amusingly and smiled in the way a mother did when her child did something stupid.

Hermione pulled back her hand and blushed as the other Slytherins in the surrounding areas took notice of her finger and snickered while whispering probably… no… _definitely_ about her. "Where did he…" Hermione began but before she was able to finish her question, a light touch tingled her shoulder and she turned around to slap it away.

A boy with light brown hair that was dressed in Gryffindor robes grinned down at her as he held her slapping hand away from his body. Hermione noticed his familiar appearance at once. It was Gregory Northcraft, the prefect she had previously met on the train who had flirted with her endlessly. What did _he_ want?

"Woah there, calm down beautiful," he said with another smile on his face. "Violence is never the answer you know. I'm a pacifist." Gregory beamed down at her with his green eyes and laughed.

"Really? Well I'm not," Hermione answered in a firm voice. She wanted Gregory to know that she wasn't interested and if she had to use physical aggression to show it, then she would. However, her threat seemed to make him laugh instead and he patted her head. She frowned at his childishness.

Ginny eyed the two of them with a raised eyebrow and glanced at her best friend suspiciously from the corner of her eye. "Well I'll be taking my leave then Mione. Talk to you later!" she winked at her best friend and went back to join Harry and Ron at the table. It was a look that implied she was going to bombard Hermione with questions later about the "new guy" which was not good. Not good at all.

She sighed at Ginny's departure before directing her attention back to Gregory.

"You are so irresistibly cute," he complimented. "As much as I wanted to see you though that is not why I'm here." He gave her another grin while she crossed her arms and waited for his explanation.

He waited for any insulting response from her but when she didn't give any, he continued, "The headmaster wanted me to inform you that meetings with the prefects must be held every two days a week… Monday and Friday at the Head Boy and Head Girl's commodore." He paused for a moment, thinking about what else he had to say. "Yeah, I think that was the message."

Hermione nodded, wishing there were more meetings so she didn't have to stay in the commodore alone with Malfoy during class breaks… or when she wanted to study. She had a feeling she would be hiding out in the library many times during the week in order to avoid Malfoy's unfavorable company. "Thank you for the notice," she replied. She was just relieved that Gregory hadn't come over to shower her with inappropriate and flirtatious comments.

He winked at her and bowed down exaggeratedly. "Your very welcome m'lady. Now if you would excuse me," he glanced over her shoulder and smirked. "_Some one_ _else_ seems urgent to speak with you," he said. Before Hermione could ask him who, Gregory faked bowed again and walked away to flirt with another group girls. She was starting to wonder if that's all he did in his free time…

Before she could ponder more about the prefect's behavior, however, she was interrupted by the person she wanted to see the least.


	5. This Means War

_Okay whew! Here is chapter 5. This actually took me a long time to write because I had writer's block for a few days and also had to deal with juggling college stuff (going to be a senior in Sept.) I hope you guys enjoy this one because I had a tough time writing it. I only scanned it for a few minutes to edit so there may be a few mistakes. I'll read it over more later but I wanted to post this up as soon as possible for you guys to read. It is a little bit shorter than the last chapter._

_Also, as for the password "Bubbling Dragon" I just made that up haha... I don't even know how -.- Actually, I don't really know much about portrait passwords in Harry Potter so I made most of it up in this chapter :) Ah, and as usual I do not own any of the Harry Potter universe besides the OCs. J.K Rowling is the wonderful creator of it all :) So enjoy! Oh, and I've also been trying to register for Pottermore but I can't get up early enough :(_

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><p>The person facing Hermione was, of course, none other than Draco Malfoy. The blonde Slytherin walked around so he could talk to her <em>vis<em>-à-_vis_ and said, "Why Granger, I believe this is the first time I haven't seen you frolicking with your two pals Potty and Weasel." He crossed his arms and an amusing spark formed in his eyes.

Hermione looked over to the spot where Harry, Ron, and Ginny were all preoccupied with their dinner. They didn't seem to notice that she was interacting with the enemy. She decided to get this conversation with Malfoy over with quickly before they _did _notice, especially Ron.

"Why don't we get to the point and you just tell me what you want," Hermione said, ignoring Malfoy's previous statement.

"Isn't it interesting?" Malfoy said with a hint of wonder in his voice. He eyed Hermione carefully which made her feel highly uncomfortable.

"What?" she blurted out. He laughed at her reaction and brushed a piece of hair away from his eyes.

"The fact that we have to share a commodore. Remember? Have you forgotten already Granger? I thought you would have a better memory than that… since you're the top student of the school." He leaned against the wall behind him with his arms crossed and smirked when she glared at his last comment.

"No I haven't forgotten Malfoy. In fact, I am distressed by the mere idea of it. The slightest look of you makes me sick so I don't know how I will survive sharing rooms with you." She sighed just thinking about it… how many days would she have to get up, knowing that the person sleeping a few feet away in another room was Malfoy? She was disgusted and bothered by the thought of it.

"Sick? I make you sick?" Malfoy questioned. He leaned down to her and whispered, "_Love_ sick?" Hermione abruptly pushed him away from her, making him fall back against the wall hard. He glared daggers at her sudden aggressiveness.

"Watch it Granger," he muttered. One thing he hated more than the lack of care from his parents was being humiliated… especially by a girl who lived with Muggles.

"No _you_ watch it Malfoy. You may think that every girl in this school is in love with you but she's not… _I'm_ not.. so don't bother toying with me and just stay out of my way," she whispered at him fiercely. Even though she initially wanted to shout at him for his ridiculous comment, she didn't want their argument to make a scene in the Great Hall where every student from Hogwarts was present.

"I'm not…" Malfoy started to say but was interrupted before he could finish. Despite their subtlety, it seemed like some students did notice their argument when Hermione's friends walked towards the two Heads quickly with worried expressions on their faces.

Ron placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder and stared at Malfoy viciously. "What's going on here?" he demanded.

Harry looked at Ron with the same worried expression he gave Hermione and pointed towards the Gryffindor table. "The feast is almost over Mione. You should eat before they take the food away," he informed. Ginny also nodded in agreement.

Hermione shook Ron's hand off gently and turned around to face the three students with a smile. "Okay, I'll head back now. And Ron, it's nothing. I promise. Let's just go okay?" He looked at her like he didn't believe a word she said but decided to drop the matter anyway. Hermione smiled at him thankfully and started to walk away.

But before she could move a foot away from him, she heard Malfoy say, "This means war Granger. And I'm going to make your life a living hell." His words were loud enough for her to hear.

She glanced at her friends, who were laughing at something Ginny said. They didn't seem to notice what she'd just heard. And for some reason, chills ran down her back every time his voice replayed those first few words inside her head: _this means war._

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><p>After what seemed to Hermione like forever, the welcome feast was finally over and it was time for the students to retire to their rooms. The words Malfoy had said to her before still played inside her head like a broken record. What did he mean by it? For some reason, it bothered her knowing that he was going to make her life a "living hell".<p>

"Mione! Hello! Earth to Mione!" Ginny shouted as she waved her hands in front of her friend's face to catch her attention.

Hermione was immediately snapped back into reality and smiled at the red-headed teen. "Sorry Ginny… what were you saying?"

The two girls walked towards the stairs together while Harry and Ron were in the midst of another Gryffindor crowd, talking about upcoming Quidditch matches.

Ginny gave Hermione a pouted look. "What is with you lately?" she asked. "You seem so dazed. Is it because of the Malfoy situation?" She turned to look at the Head Boy as he walked with his two goons Crabbe and Goyle. Pansy Parkinson was also skipping along side him. She had a cringe-worthy smile on her face as she held his arm while giving the other girls staring at Malfoy a glaring eye. Hermione also turned to look at them and snickered. They seemed like the perfect couple.

"No!" she protested but when Ginny eyed her knowingly, Hermione changed her response and sighed. "Yes… but it's only because he said he would make my life a living hell. I just wish I ended up working together with someone who didn't hates my guts."

Ginny laughed at her comment while Mione stared at her confusingly. "Don't forget silly. You also hate his guts… so at least there is something you two have in common… right?" Hermione pondered her friend's point for a second and also laughed.

"You're right Ginny. That _is_ something we have in common. Who knew?" She stretched her arms tiredly and yawned. "Well since I'm not living in the Gryffindor commodore anymore I better head to my new room. I think it's in the opposite direction from where you're going," Hermione said sadly. As much as she enjoyed having an important position at school, she hated the fact that she had to be separated from her best friend. She also caught the eyes of Harry and Ron and waved goodbye to them.

Harry smiled at her and waved back while Ron just stared at her for a moment before stomping off. She guessed he was still uncomfortable with the whole Malfoy incident. It hurt her just to see him so quiet because normally, he was a massive chatterbox who could not keep his mouth shut. Hopefully, their relationship would be back to normal tomorrow.

Ginny also frowned when she realized she wouldn't be rooming with Hermione this year. "Oh yeah… I forgot about that. Well, make sure to find me tomorrow. I still want to hear all the details about the new guy." She winked at her friend and walked off to locate her new roommate, Parvati Patil.

"Wait Ginny.. what are you…?" Hermione paused for a moment and then a light bulb clicked inside her head. Ah! She had forgotten about her encounter with Gregory before and let out a regretful breath when she realized she had to face her friend's curious questions tomorrow.

Speaking of Gregory, she did not see any of the prefects around so she assumed that they had already performed their duties. She just hoped none of them led the students to the wrong rooms.

Feeling another yawn come up her throat, she turned to walk in the other direction towards her new commodore. She couldn't wait to see the kind of bed she will be sleeping in during her last year at Hogwarts. Wait… oh no! Hermione realized that she didn't know the password to enter the portrait in front of the room. Ugh! How stupid of her! She was too preoccupied during the feast that she forgot to ask anyone if they knew the special password needed to enter the Head commodore.

She then remembered Malfoy's words again and cried out in her mind. It was all his fault! If he hadn't spoken to her and taken up most of her time during the feast, she would have remembered to ask. If she had to remain locked out from the room on her first day, she was definitely going to kill him.

Right when she imagined using "_Avada Kadava" _on the Slytherin, she spotted his tall blonde head in front of her and immediately froze. He might know the password! Better yet, if she could catch up to him, they would be able to enter the commodore together and she could avoid any insults from him concerning her forgetfulness.

"Malfoy!" she called out but he didn't turn to look and kept on walking. There were less people scattered around the halls now and it seemed like most students had found their way to their rooms.

She sped up but saw that he was walking quite hastily. Even though she hated to raise her voice, she really needed his help to get in and screamed his name again. This time, he turned around and she sighed in relief.

Hermione waved her hands to catch his attention and he finally looked at her. He gave her a puzzled stare at first, wondering why she was calling him after their brief argument in the Great Hall.

"Wait for me," she called out. "Let's go together since we are heading in the same direction." She ran up a little towards him so they were only separated by about five people.

His gray eyes pierced hers again and he made no kind of movement. She gathered that he had heard her and was waiting for her to catch up. But all of a sudden, she heard him let out a devilish laugh. Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and smirked. Then he was gone… just like that.

Hermione tiptoed a little to see if she could spot him again, but she only saw the masses of brunettes and gingers in front of her… there was no sight of a blonde boy dressed in green and silver robes.

His annoying smirk appeared in her mind and Hermione felt her pulse quicken. She wanted to pull her hair annoyingly at every corner of her head. How dare he tease her like that? Now how was she going to get the password? She was sure the portrait was going to give her a difficult time if she didn't have it.

Before she could finish her frustrating thought, however, a figure brushed past her quickly and spoke in her ear with a soft voice. "Bubbling Dragon," it whispered. Hermione looked all around her to see who the voice belonged to but didn't find anyone. She just knew that whoever had helped her sounded like a male and had probably witnessed her helpless scene with Malfoy moments before.

Either way, she was grateful to receive the aid and walked towards her new commodore with a rush of relief. Now she wouldn't have to embarrassingly ask a professor for help (since she was known to be reliable most of the time).

However, the sudden thought of Malfoy's rapid departure when she asked him to wait for her made Hermione's blood boil again.

She clenched her fists as she walked in the now-empty hallway and muttered, "If you want a war Draco Malfoy, then you've got one."


	6. A Crazy First Day

_Yay! Chapter 6 is here! I wrote the most so far for this chapter (nearly 4,000 words) so I hope you all enjoy it! I am still kind of unsure where I'm going with this story but I'm kind of making things up as I write haha... I really should plan beforehand but sometimes my mind goes completely blank :P I still need to make those two other prefect girls show up since they are also going to be important characters in my fanfic but I keep getting too carried away with DracoMione interactions :) (they are just so fun to write!) Aiken and Gregory (the two boy prefects) show up in this chapter though. By the way, if you want to know my next update, I put the date on my profile. Usually, I put up the next chapter in 5-6 days. _

_Oh and a few notes to add: Snape is still the Potions master in my story (just like how Dumbledore is still the headmaster) I'm just used to the idea of it so let's pretend it's true despite that it's their 7th year okay? :) _

_As usual, I do not own the Harry Potter universe or its characters besides the OCs. They all belong to J.K. Rowling!_

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><p>The next morning, Hermione woke up from her long sleep regretfully and stretched her arms with a yawn. After getting into the commodore room yesterday, she fell right into a deep slumber and had to admit that the Head room was much more comfortable than the one she had in Gryffindor last year.<p>

She got off the bed and rushed to the mirror with a groan. Her hair was so messy that it looked like she had just come back from a windy day. She attempted to flatten the sides of her hair and grabbed a brush to make it a bit more presentable. She looked towards the bathroom where her straightener was lying on a table near the sink. She yearned to reach for it and fix up her wild curls but realized that if she wavered any longer, she would be late to her first class: Herbology.

She hoped Malfoy was not in that class. As much as she scolded herself, she could not stop thinking about him and his behavior towards her last night when she needed the password to enter the Head commodore. Even though she knew he enjoyed using cruel tactics to tease others, especially students from Gryffindor, she just could not read his actions towards her.

For example, when he told her he would "make her life a living hell", what did he exactly mean by that? Was he going to annoy her everyday? Or maybe he just threatened her to make her upset (which he seemed to enjoy).

Nonetheless, while she had no doubt that he was the cruel and selfish Malfoy who she had despised since day one, she could also see a hint of humanity in him, especially when his gray eyes pierced hers with such intensity. Hermione pulled at her hair frustratingly, messing it up even further. She really needed to get that stupid Slytherin out of her mind.

When the clock's hand on her wall moved another minute, Hermione gasped and moved all thoughts of Malfoy to the back of her mind. She grabbed her bag full of new books purchased at Diagon Alley and tied her frizzy hair into a bun. She ran out of the room as fast as she could in case she was going to be lectured by Professor Sprout for being tardy on her first day back.

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><p>"So was it torture?" asked Pansy Parkinson as she locked arms with Malfoy and held onto him tightly. They were both leaving their first class of the morning.<p>

He grimaced at the intimate contact and pulled away quickly. As many times as he did so, however, he always found her hand touching his arm. Even though he was used to receiving attention from girls, Pansy was just plain annoying and he never understood why she was always around him when he made it perfectly clear that he had no interest in her.

"What was? Transfiguration? That class is always torture. I can never seem to keep my eyes awake when McGonagall speaks," Malfoy pointed out, keeping his distance from Pansy in case she tried to lock arms again.

Pansy let out an unattractive laugh and touched him _again_. Malfoy clenched his teeth in annoyance. "No silly goose. I'm talking about your first night with that filthy Mudblood. I feel so bad that you have to share a commodore with her," she said with a sympathetic expression on her face.

Malfoy stopped all of a sudden and felt his back muscle tense up. He didn't know why but it bothered him that Pansy was bad-mouthing his fellow Head Girl. This was strange since he called Hermione a Mudblood countless of times but for some reason, Pansy's tone made him angry, especially her emphasis on the word _filthy_. But then again, everything that Pansy did made him feel disgusted…

"You do know that we do not sleep in the same room right? So there was no first night if that's what you're worried about," Malfoy pointed out sensibly. In fact, he did not see Hermione walk in at all last night. He knew she stopped him in the hall yesterday to follow him into their commodore so she didn't have to ask him for the password but after that, there was no sign of her. If she did walk in, she must have done it quietly because he couldn't hear the sound of her footsteps… not that he was listening in the first place.

Pansy's face turned as red as a tomato when Malfoy implied that she was jealous of his new roommate. "Of.. course I know that Draco," she said with a wave of her hand. "It's not you I'm worried about though. It's that wretched girl who might sneak in your room at night or try to seduce you. I know everyone thinks she is such a good person who doesn't do anything wrong but trust me, those are the ones you want to watch out for."

Draco looked at her for a moment in amusement and laughed when he saw how serious she was being with her lecture. "That girl.. seducing me? Oh what an interesting scene that would make… If I just imagine it…" He paused for a second and cracked up again, this time he covered his mouth because he was laughing so hard. He knew Hermione would never try anything with him. She hated him too much. In fact, he, himself, just shivered in disgust at the idea of sharing a commodore with her.

"Draco…" Pansy started with a scrunched up look on her face that made her look like a pug. Malfoy stop laughing and narrowed his eyes at the female Slytherin.

"Stop bothering me about that stupid girl. Nothing is going on and will never go on between me and that Mudblood." Malfoy glared at Pansy. "I also hate girls who get jealous so easily."

Pansy's face turned red again and she laughed awkwardly. "You're right Draco. You always are. I am worrying too much. I know your father would never allow you to touch a girl who has different blood from your family." She ignored his last comment and gave him a genuine smile.

Malfoy shrugged and started to walk away from her. Even though he knew Pansy was right, he didn't like being reminded of his father's constant restraints. In fact, he wanted to yell at his fellow Slytherin right then and there for even bringing up his father's strict nature.

"Draco! Wait for me!" she called out but Malfoy didn't stop and kept on walking forward, wanting to escape Pansy and the pain she had forced him to remember.

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><p>Hermione walked into Potions class with a tint of negativity. As well as she did in that class, she looked unfavorably upon Professor Snape who seemed to enjoy making Gryffindor students suffer.<p>

She waved to Harry and Ron who were sitting next to each other as usual and they waved back eagerly. She sighed in relief when she saw the wide grin on Ron's face, glad that he wasn't upset anymore at her behavior with Malfoy yesterday.

She looked around the room and saw an empty desk to the left side of her best friends and sat down there quickly before anyone else took her spot. "Hey you two," she greeted them as she pulled out her textbook.

"Hey Mione," they said simultaneously. They both looked at each other worriedly before placing their eyes on Hermione again. Obviously, by the suspicious way they looked at her, she knew something was up.

"What happened?" she asked curiously. They were probably wondering how her first night in the commodore went. But before Harry could open his mouth to speak, a blonde headed teen rushed quickly into the classroom, with Pansy Parkinson close behind. Hermione saw Ron glare at the doorway with utter disgust and Hermione also felt annoyed that Malfoy was in Potions class with her.

"I was hoping we wouldn't have any classes with that ass," blurted Ron as Malfoy searched the room for a safe seat away from Pansy. He had said it loud enough, however, for everyone in the class to hear and Malfoy stopped short in front of Harry and Ron's desk.

"Why don't you shut up for once you little Weasel," Malfoy grunted. He eyed his two enemies with scorn and crossed his arms furiously.

Ron immediately got up from his chair hastily and slammed a fist down on his desk. "Why you…" he shouted but Harry pulled his friend back to his seat quickly when Professor Snape entered the room in a pessimistic manner.

"What is going on here?" he asked in an angry but monotone voice. Malfoy turned around to face the professor with an annoyed expression on his face. He was already in a bad mood because of Pansy's mention of his father so he really wanted to fight with Ron this time. Why did Snape have to come in before he could land a blow on the red-head's face?

"Malfoy. Take your seat. Now," ordered Snape. Draco was well aware that he would never get in trouble in Potions class because Snape had a soft spot for Slytherins. He rarely gave him detention or the same punishment he gave the Gryffindor students. However, his tone just now was so intimidating that Malfoy took the nearest vacant seat.

He turned to identify his new desk mate and almost fell to the floor when he saw Hermione Granger staring back at him with an irritated expression. She was probably annoyed at his argument with Ron. She moved her books at the edge of her side of the table and ignored him with a sour look.

Malfoy crossed his arms and smirked. He took out his books from the new bag his mother had bought him (it was the nicest thing she had done for him all summer) and pushed them closer to Hermione. He also shifted his chair closer to her and laughed to himself when he saw her pull farther and farther away from him.

Professor Snape eyed everyone in the room carefully and started to give a lecture about the rest of the school year. As usual he didn't welcome the students back or give them a warm greeting. He just went straight to business and even gave them homework for tomorrow.

Thus, the whole class remained quiet for the rest of the period while Snape gave a long speech about detention. Hermione noticed that he looked at Harry and Ron while speaking and she felt that he would make sure to keep a close eye on the trio this year, waiting for them to do something wrong.

Even though she usually paid attention in all her classes, Snape's monotone voice bored her and she started to find her eyes drooping. She didn't know why she was so sleepy since she had a perfectly good rest last evening.

Before she could actually fall asleep, however, a slight tap on her arm made her jump in surprise. She turned to look at the person next to her and frowned. Why was Malfoy touching her?

He smirked at her and moved his notebook close to her so she could see the content he had written inside of it. Hermione looked at him again and decided to ignore his childishness. She turned away from him to direct her attention on Professor Snape. But before she could push his notebook back towards him, he tapped her again.

"Will you just…" she whispered. But before she could finish her sentence, Snape directed his cold eyes straight towards her and glared.

"Miss. Granger, do you have something to share with the whole class?" he asked with an intimidating tone.

Hermione shook her head furiously and gave him a guilty look. "No professor," she answered politely.

"Then I would advise you to not speak when I am speaking. Understand?" he demanded. Everyone in the class turned to face Hermione and she turned a light shade of pink at the attention. She hated to be targeted by Snape because he always made her feel incredibly stupid. She turned to look at her desk mate who was looking away from her, acting like he knew nothing. She grumbled under her breath. It was all Malfoy's fault!

"Yes professor. I apologize for my behavior," she responded. Snape eyed her carefully before returning to his lecture and Hermione sunk back in her seat with a solemn expression.

After a few minutes, while Hermione was about to fall asleep again, Malfoy pushed his notebook towards her again. She glared at him from the corner of her eye and attempted to push it back.

However, she realized that she was now under the watchful eye of Professor Snape and that if she made any more sudden movements, he would give her detention and deduct points from her house. She glared at Malfoy again before involuntarily glancing at his scribbled writing in the book.

It said: _If you fall asleep Granger, I would make sure to tell Professor Snape after class. _Hermione's jaw clenched and she felt herself wanting to punch Malfoy's face as many times as she could. How could someone make her feel so frustrated? Even Ron's over protectiveness didn't make her feel this annoyed.

She took her quill and scribbled some words in her book before pushing it silently to Malfoy's side of the table, well aware that Snape was still watching her. She smiled proudly to herself. She had just called him an insufferable airhead in her message.

When class was finally over, Hermione breathed out in relief and got up to pack her belongings. She was glad that she had a free period next and decided to get started on her Potions homework. Moreover, she was just relieved to escape Professor Snape's suspicious glances towards her after he caught her whispering to Malfoy.

Speaking of the blonde-haired Slytherin, she was also happy to leave him. Having him as a desk mate was probably one of the worst things that could happen to her. Not only did he almost beat up her best friend at the beginning of class but he also got her in trouble (which barely happened to her)! It was worse enough that she had to share Head duties with him, but now she had to have him sit next to her in class everyday? Hermione didn't know how she could survive for the rest of the year.

"See you tomorrow Granger. Oh wait, I forgot we live together so see you tonight," Malfoy said as he stood up to pack his things. He smirked at her again and for the thousandth time, Hermione felt like punching him.

She looked around for the presence of Snape and when she saw that he had left the room for a minute, she decided to respond. "Sod off Malfoy," she snapped furiously.

He eyed her mischievously and ripped a piece of paper out from his notebook. "Woah, who knew that perfect little Granger knew how to swear? Maybe hanging out with Potty and Weasel has had a bad influence on you," he said in a sing-song voice. He stuffed the paper inside her book and she frowned at him.

Before she could take the paper and throw it back at him, however, Malfoy walked out of the room followed by Pansy Parkinson and the other members of his Slytherin posse.

Hermione groaned in annoyance and took the paper out of her book grudgingly. Her body tensed when she read the few words he had written in response to her earlier message (the one she had written to him in her notebook after he gave her that note). It read: _Me? An airhead? That's sort of hypocritical coming from someone who didn't know the password to our commodore yesterday._

She let out a small scream of anger and attempted to rip the paper into a million pieces. Nonetheless, as hard as she tried, the paper in her hand wouldn't tear. The bold black words were still visible and Malfoy's teasing voice haunted her mind. He had used magic on the paper! Now she would have to be reminded of her humiliation from last night. She stuffed the paper into the back of her bag so she could forget about it and walked out of the class with a peeved sigh.

* * *

><p>"Okay so tell me all about him!" Ginny squealed as she sat down next to Hermione in the study hall. She also had a free period and was thankful to find her friend doing her Potions homework without any interruptions.. well, until now.<p>

Hermione covered her ears slightly and gave her friend a bothered look. "Can't a girl study in peace?" she asked hopelessly. Ginny shook her head and laughed.

"Not when her best friend is around to bug her!" She pushed Hermione's shoulder lightly and leaned in with interest. "So tell me all about this new guy!" she demanded in a playful tone.

Hermione rubbed the temples of her forehead gently and pushed back a strand of hair. "There isn't really much to tell Ginny. He's a Gryffindor. He's a prefect. He's annoying. And that's pretty much it," she pointed out.

Ginny crossed her arms and gave her friend a distrustful look. "Come on. There has to be more. He was totally into you. I saw it yesterday. Now the question is… are you into him?"

"No Ginny. I'm not," Hermione answered bluntly. She directed her attention back to the Potions homework sitting in front of her.

Ginny pouted and closed the book of her friend's text book. "Not even a little? But he is not bad-looking at all! And he is a Gryffindor too. Maybe you should get to know him better…" Hermione grabbed the Potions book out of her friend's possession and frowned.

"He is just a player that goes around flirting with every girl he sees. Don't mistake that for interest in me. Plus, all I am concerned about this year is passing my OWLs and keeping up with Head duties," Hermione stated.

Ginny frowned back at her friend. "Fine…" she said reluctantly. "Ah! That reminds me. How are things going with Malfoy?" she asked curiously. The frown on her face suddenly turned into a bright grin.

Hermione laughed at her friend's sudden shift in emotions. Malfoy's smirk then appeared in her mind and she grumbled. "Don't even mention that stupid prat. He got me in trouble today in Potions class!", she said in a raised voice.

Two students to her right glared at Hermione for speaking so loudly while they were studying. She nodded her head apologetically and lowered her tone into a whisper. "I didn't tell you this before Gin, but he told me he would make my life a living hell. And it seems like he has already started."

Ginny studied her friend for a moment before bursting into a fit of laughter. The students studying glared at their table again. Hermione placed a finger on her lips to silent Ginny's laughter.

"I'm.. sorry…" Ginny said in between breaths. "It's just… too funny…" Hermione frowned at her friend and crossed her arms. Did she not believe what she was saying?

"Ginny. I'm serious," she said in a serious tone. The red-headed Gryffindor whose face was all pink from laughing so hard put her hands out defensively.

"Aw come on Mione. I know it sucks having Malfoy as the Head Boy but he's not out to ruin your life. Don't be so paranoid. Instead, you should focus your attention on that hot new boy from yesterday who has his sights on you," Ginny pointed out with an amused look in her eye.

Hermione sighed at her friend's never-ending attempt to hook her up with boys. "Gin, I already told you, he is not interested in…" she started. But before she could finish her words of denial, Ginny nudged her head in the direction behind Hermione.

"Then why is he coming this way right now?" she asked. Hermione turned around quickly to spot what her friend was looking at. Sure enough, Gregory Northcraft was walking towards her table with a flashy grin on his face. Another student with Ravenclaw robes was also walking beside him. He nodded a greeting to Hermione but had an indifferent expression on his face. Hermione recognized that look right away. It was Aiken Hardbury. The other prefect she had met on the Hogwarts Express.

The two male students sat themselves down on Hermione's table, across from where the two girls were sitting. Aiken took out a book from his bag which Hermione noticed was from Potions class. Did he have class with her last period? She was too irritated by the idea of Malfoy sitting next to her that she didn't notice if any of the prefects were in the same class as her.

The four of them stared at each other in silence before Gregory opened his mouth to speak. He looked directly at Hermione. "So… now I know why you kept turning down my advances," he said with a sigh.

Hermione looked at him in shock. What was he talking about? Before she could ask, however, Aiken nudged his friend softly and warned, "Gregory…"

But the Gryffindor prefect looked at Aiken with an innocent smile on his face. "What? I'm just saying… I thought she was just shy. But it turns out she was interested in someone else this whole time," Gregory stated as he eyed Hermione again.

Okay… now she was officially confused. Ginny glanced at her friend with the same bewildered expression. At least she wasn't the only one who had no clue what was going on.

"What are you guys talking about?" Hermione asked in a whisper. She didn't want to disturb the students studying again.

Aiken and Gregory both stared at each other before looking back at Hermione. "You mean… you haven't heard?" they asked at the same time.

Hermione's patience was running low now. It was only the afternoon but she was already having a crazy first day. She crossed her arms and sighed. "I'm waiting," she said. Whatever she hadn't heard couldn't be more ridiculous than the fact that she had to sit next to Draco Malfoy in Potions class for the rest of the year.

Nonetheless, it seemed like she thought positively too soon when Gregory told her in a concerned voice, "There are rumors spreading around the school that you are madly and completely in love with the Head Boy."


End file.
